Communion service



June 21, 1955 o. F. DINGELDEIN 2,711,089

COMMUNION SERVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 21, 1955 o. F. DINGELDEIN 2,711,089

COMMUNION SERVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mu mN COMMUNION SERVICE Otto F. Dingeldein, St. Louis St. Louis Metalerafts, Inc., tion of Missouri County, Mo., assignor to St. Louis, Mo a corpora- This invention relates to communion services, and more particularly, to a communion service wherein the chalices are shaped as goblets.

Briefly, the communion service of this invention comprises a tray and a plurality of goblet-shaped chalices, cooperating recesses and projections being formed in the tray and in the foot of each chalice so as to hold the chalices in a desirable arrangement upon the tray, and in such position as to be fully in view and readily accessible. More specifically, each chalice has a relatively light cup portion, a narrow central stem portion and arelatively heavy downwardly-flaring foot portion, the foot portion being formed with a stepped lower face providing an annular flange and a downwardly directed boss spaced inwardly from the periphery of the flange. The specially shaped foot of each chalice is adapted to seat in a suitably shaped chalice retainer formed on the tray.

The invention provides a communion service which is pleasing in appearance and convenient to handle. The tray is movable a substantial angle from the horizontal without disarrangement of the chalices, and the chalices may be readily removed from or replaced on the tray. Moreover, the tray is adapted for the usual stacking upon other trays of like shape with the chalices in place thereon, and the tray is shaped for convenient gripping so as to be readily removed from a stack. Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and

arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. l is a top elevation of the tray of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top elevation of the chalice of this invention;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the chalice;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 additionally showing a chalice in place on the tray and a second tray and chalice in dotted lines showing their relation when in a stack; and,

Fig. 6 is a side view of a tray with chalices thereon illustrating certain tilting features.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Heretofore, communion services have comprised a tray provided with apertures in its top and tapered tumblers which deeply seat in these apertures. Such a service is not completely satisfactory because, although safe against disarrangement, the deeply seated tumblers are not conveniently accessible for removal from the tray. A substantial portion of each tumbler is generally beneath the top of the tray thus leaving a relatively small portion exposed for gripping. In addition, a chalice in the shape of a tumbler is not as satisfactory from the viewpoint of appearance and ease of handling as is a chalice shaped as a goblet. It has not been practical to use goblet-shaped chalices heretofore because such chalices do not lend themselves well to the type of tray having a perforated top. When the foot of the chalice is seated through an aperture in a tray, a substantial portion of the chalice is hidden from view and only a relatively loose fit is provided. It is the purpose of this invention to provide for maximum exposure of gobletshaped chalices while at the same time achieving a safe seating engagement with the tray.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a tray, generally designated 1, in the form of a disc. The tray includes a skirt portion 3 shaped as an inverted truncated irregular cone and having relatively large top and small bottom ends 5 and 7, respectively. A head 9 is formed at the small bottom end 7 of the skirt portion 3 and a diaphragm member 11 extends across its relatively large top end 9. As shown, the diaphragm'has a dished por tion 13 around the margin and a central relatively flat portion 15 upon which the chalices are to be disposed.

Chalice retainers 17 are disposed across the central portion 15 of the tray in a symmetrical pattern as illustrated in Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 5, each retainer 17 comprises a button 19 permanently seated through an aperture 21 formed in the diaphragm of the tray. The buttons have a flat depressed bottom 23 and an upstanding annular rim 25. While the chalice retainers 17 are shown as separate members press fitted into the tray, it will be understood that they may be formed integrally with the portion '15.

The chalice of this invention is in the shape of a goblet. having an upwardly-opening light cup portion 27, a relatively narrow central stem 29 and a downwardly flaring foot portion 31. The foot member 31 is formed of heavy material such as metal. For example, the chalice may be formed of silver plated brass, pewter, stainless steel or other such heavy metals. Where the whole chalice is formed of metallic material, the foot member is preferably solid so as to have a low center of gravity.

As shown, the chalice has a relatively flat base 33 and is marginally stepped to provide an annular flange 35 spaced above the flat base 33 so as to leave a boss 37 of heavy metal projecting below the annular flange 35. Flange 35 is of a diameter substantially greater than that of the boss 37, and generally is slightly less than the diameter of the upstanding rim of the depressed element 17. The boss 37 extending below theflange of the chalice is spaced inwardly from the periphery of the flange so as to cooperate with the inside of the rim 125. Finally,

it will be noted in Fig. 5 that the Hat bottom 33 of the chalice is spaced from the bottom 23 of the button 19 so as not to be in contact therewith. Thus, the chalice placed upon the tray seats solely at the flange on the upstanding rim 25. This is for the purpose of improving the stability of the chalices upon the tray.

The chalice is so designed as to have a low center of gravity, designated CG by way of example in Fig. 5. The location of "the center of gravity as shown, is such that with the goblets empty, the tray may be tipped at an angle of from the horizontal, or conversely, the chalice may be inclined at an angle of 45 from the vertical before an overbalancing of the center of gravity occurs with respect to the point of engagement between members 35 and 25. Overbalancing is measured from the pointof contact indicated at 37 between the upstanding rim 25 of the chalice retainer and the flange 35 formed at the foot of the chalice. Without the flange or rim 2.5, this limit of pivotal movement would be located at a lower point indicated at 39 and the maximum angle of inclination would be correspondingly reduced. For example, the chalices when empty would then only be movable without overbalancing through an angle from the vertical as indicated at B which is relatively less than the 45 angle indicated at A. This feature is of importance inasmuch as the tray with chalices thereon is frequently passed among the congregation by persons who are relatively unskilled in passing trays. It is of course understood that with fluid in the chalices the center of gravity would be slightly higher but the same principle applies.

and the bead 9 form a convenient hand hold. For example, the tray may be gripped with the thumb upon the dished portion 13 and the fingers wrapped around the bead 9. In removing a tray from a stack, the fingers are slipped under the relatively small bottom end 7 to lift one side of the tray from the top of a stack. Slippage of the tray from the stack is prevented by engagement of the bead 9 against the inner edge or shoulder 38 formed by the dished portion 13 on the next lower tray of the stack on the opposite side from which it is gripped. A chalice may be readily removed from a filled tray without danger of upsetting other chalices, since each chalice is heavily weighted and movable a substantial angle from the vertical without overcentering.

Since each chalice is substantially completely exposed above the top of the tray, it may be readily gripped either at the stem or cup portion, as contrasted with the tumbler which is only partially accessible when seated through an aperture in a tray. Finally, it will be observed that chalices may be readily replaced upon the tray after use because the chalice retainers tend to center a chalice which is not initially placed upon the retainer in an accurate alignment therewith.

It will be noted that the inwardly and downwardly tapered form of the skirt 3 provides a notch-like crevice between stacked trays (Fig. 5) into which the fingers may readily be inserted for lifting one tray from another.

It will be understood that certain advantages of the invention can be obtained by reversing the positions of the members 19 in the diaphragm 15, so that they present upwardly extending convex forms instead of concave. In such event the chalices are made correspondingly hollow under the flaring foot portion 31 for cooperatively fitting with such convex portions.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advanf h ki t urrounding a bottom opening sufficicntly large to accommodate all chalices on a lower tray when tageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above construe-- tions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A chalice of goblet form for a communion service comprising a relatively light upper cup portion, a central stern and a solid relatively heavy downwardly flaring foot portion having a central fiat base, said flat base being marginally stepped upward and outward to provide a peripheral flange extending radially outward above said fiat base, whereby the chalice is adapted to rest upon any appropriate flat surface when not in a communion tray socket, said flange being engageable with the margin of any communion tray socket which will just accept the unstepped portion of said flat base.

2. A chalice made according to claim 1, wherein said unstepped portion is shallow, so that said flat base is acceptable also in shallow closed sockets of the class phragms when a described while said flange rests on said socket margin.

3.'In combination, a communion tray consisting of an upper diaphragm surrounded by a skirt extending downward and inward, said diaphragm having a group of closed-bottom shallow sockets and a marginal shoulder of substantial width surrounding said group of sockets, said skirt having a lower portion adapted to engage within the shoulder on another tray when similar trays are stacked, so as to elfect alignment between them, chalices comprising relatively light upper cup portions, central stems and solid relatively heavy downwardly flaring foot portions having fiat bottoms which are marginally stepped to provide peripheral flanges above the flat bottoms,

said flanges being engageable with the margins of said sockets in the diaphragm while the fiat bottoms are spaced from the closed bottoms of the sockets, the height of the chalices above said diaphragm when associated there with beingless than the distances between diaphragms when the trays are stacked, said chalices being also capable of independently standing upright on their flat-bot: of

toms when located upon any flat surface independent the tray.

4. In a communion service, a tray comprising a skirt o1. substantial depth formed of hollow truncated generally downwardly converging shape so as to have large and small ends, a bead formed at the small end of the skirt, an upper diaphragm across the large end of the skirt, said diaphragm having a marginal portion around a depressed central area, said depressed area being of the same outline as said bead and only slightly larger for the reception and alignment thereon of the bead of another tray, said depressed central area having a plurality of chalice retainers thereon constituted by downwardly r bulged portions for cooperation with inversely formed portions on the bottoms of chalices to be supported upon the upper diaphragm, the assembly of diaphragm and skirt being hollow and open at the lower end and of sufficient depth internally to accommodate chalices on a diaphragm of a second assembly therebeneath when the first assembly is stacked on a second similar assembly therebelow, said marginal portion of the diaphragm. outside of said depressed central area being of width substantially equal to the radial distance between upper and lower ends of the skirt due to the taper of said skirt.

5. In combination, a communion tray consisting oi'a diaphragm surrounded by a skirt extending downward and inward, said diaphragm having a group of shallow closed and substantially fiat pockets and a marginal shoulder of substantial radial width surrounding said group of pockets, said skirt having a lower edge portion adapted to engage with and extending inward within the shoulder of another similar tray when several trays. are

stacked, so as to effect alignment between trays, chalices engageable with said pockets, said lower edge portion the first-mentioned tray rests and is centered thereon,

substantially all of the height of said chalices being above References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1937 D. 106,437 Guild Oct. 12,

199,541 Heath Jan. 22, 1878 206,843

Van Stavoren Aug-6, 1878 (Other references on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,511,265 Chilson Oct. 14, 1924 C h J 1 1 McEldoWney Apr. 21, 304,181 3; 2 1,977,091 Schutz Oct. 16, 1934 357 122 F 1 1 7 2,026,396 Meinecke 1935 539 2 4 Hall May 14 1 95 5 2,059,769 Bell NOV- 3, 1936 553 4 Forbes Feb. 4 9 2,585,445 Dingeldein Feb. 12, 1952 564,462 Wheeler July 21: 1896 216141407 Mercer 1952 577,090 Wenzel Feb. 16, 1897 FOREIGN PATENTS 2 g g; 10 11,310 Great Britain May 30, 1905 648,436 es 1900 16,713 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1892 679,610 E 1901 137,982 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1930 697,247 1902 160,656 Great Britain Mar. 31, 1921 8091567 Henckel 1906 175,227 m n 2 1906 932597 Weber "A 5 1909 15 280,300 Great Brltain Nov. 17, 1927 1,001,628 Erichsen Aug. 29, "1911 5355 Germany 1931 1,061,026 Thomas May 6, 1913 

